American Liberty cargo ship type EC2-S-C1 Duncal L. Clinch 1944-

©Warshipsresearch.blogspot.com

Reciprocating propulsion. MCC contract number 15770. MCE hull number 2378. Builder’s hull number 163. Operator Am. Export. Shipyard J.A. Jones Construction Co. Inc., Brunswick Yard, Georgia. Date contract 22 April 1943. Contracted delivery date 21 July 1944. Laid down on 22 August 1944. Launched on 6 October 1944. Delivered on 20 October 1944.

Note

1. EC=Emergency Cargo, 2=between 20,000-29,999 tons deadweight, S=single screw-C1=basic configuration.

Source

List of completed contracts for the U.S. Maritime Commission (USMC). 

Dutch cargo ship (ex-Tobias Lear 1943, Bosboom 1943, Fort Orange 1943-1947) Blijdendyk 1947-1953 (Blydendyk 1953-1957, Transilvania 1953-1965, Mount Athos 1965-1967)

Exhibition Varen voor Vrijheid. Museum Katwijk, Netherlands

Libertys EC2-S-C1 type. Laid down by New England Shipbuilding Corporation Inc., Portland, Maine, USA with yard number 241 on 24 July 1943, launched on 11 September 1943, delivered to United States War Shipping Administration, Washington D.C., USA on 22 September 1943, as Fort Orange manager N.V. Nederlandsch-Amerikaansche Stoomvaart Maatschappij 'Holland-Amerika Lijn', Rotterdam, Netherlands, owner Staat der Nederlanden since November 1943, to be renamed Erasmus in October 1946, as Blijdendyk owner/manager N.V. Nederlandsch-Amerikaansche Stoomvaart Maatschappij 'Holland-Amerika Lijn', Rotterdam, Netherlands since 2 July 1947 (bought on 25 June 1947), renamed Blydendyk in 1943 same owner/manager, as Transilvania owner/manager Ditta Luigi Pittaluga Vapori, Genoa, Italy since 23 October 1957, as Mount Athos manager Dynamic Shipping Inc. (C. Scarvelis), New York, U.S.A., owner Mount Athos Shipping Company Ltd, Monrovia, Liberia since 1965 and grounded on 11 March 1967 off the coast of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, salvage failed and complete loss. 

American Liberty cargo ship type EC2-S-C1 Juliette Low 1944-

©Warshipsresearch.blogspot.com

Reciprocating propulsion. MCC contract number 15978. MCE hull number 2446. Builder’s hull number 51. Operator S. Atlantic SS. Shipyard Southeastern Shipbuilding Corporation, Savannah, Georgia, USA. Date contract 17 July 1943. Contracted delivery date 16 April 1944. Laid down on15 March 1944. Launched on 12 Nay 1944. Delivered on 29 May 1944.

Note

1. EC=Emergency Cargo, 2=between 20,000-29,999 tons deadweight, S=single screw-C1=basic configuration.

Source

List of completed contracts for the U.S. Maritime Commission (USMC). 

Russian merchant ship Voikov active in the Pacific on 1 July 1944

©Warshipsresearch.blogspot.com

A report from Op-16-FT, Washington, USA dated 1 July 1944 serial FT-49-44 described all Soviet merchant ships active in the Pacific. On 15 June 1944 were 207 Russian merchant ships with a total gross tonnage of 891,591 tons active in transpacific and coastal waters.This number included for instance 36 Liberty ships. 70% or 627,649 gross tons participated in regular transpacific traffic destinated for Siberian harbors and 95 vessels or 264.942 gross tons in the coastal waters. The 207 vessels excluded 7 icebreakers. Gross tonnage 7,176 tons. Type ss freighter. Built in 1943. Speed 11.5 knots. Fuel oil. International call sign UNMV? Service Transpacific. Remarks EC-2 lend-lease.

Source

Map Room Papers (Roosevelt Administration), 1942 - 1945. MR450(7) Sec 2 Location of Russian Ships, 1942-1945

Russian merchant ship ss Dekabrist active in the Pacific on 1 July 1944

A report from Op-16-FT, Washington, USA dated 1 July 1944 serial FT-49-44 described all Soviet merchant ships active in the Pacific. On 15 June 1944 were 207 Russian merchant ships with a total gross tonnage of 891,591 tons active in transpacific and coastal waters.This number included for instance 36 Liberty ships. 70% or 627,649 gross tons participated in regular transpacific traffic destinated for Siberian harbors and 95 vessels or 264.942 gross tons in the coastal waters. The 207 vessels excluded 7 icebreakers.

Gross tonnage 7,176 tons. Type freighter. Built 1943. Speed 11.25 knots. Fuel oil. International call sign UOML. Service Transpacific. Remarks EC-2 lend-lease.

Source

Map Room Papers (Roosevelt Administration), 1942 - 1945. MR450(7) Sec 2 Location of Russian Ships, 1942-1945

American general cargo ship Pan-American Victory 1945-2009 (2010)

On its way from Seattle to the breakers in Brownsville, Texas, USA on 24 December 2009

Official number 247791. IMO 5269467. Gross tonnage 7,607 tons, displacement 4,820 (lightweight)-15,199 (summer) tons and as dimensions 455.00 x 62.00 feet. Completed by Kaiser Richmond, Richmond, Ca., USA.in May 1945 as a type VC2-S-AP2 break bulk general cargo ship, laid up in Suisun Bay between 1973-2009 and broken up at Brownsville in January 2010.

Dutch cabinet purchasing Second World War merchant ships according to the Dutch newspapers Het dagblad dated 22 November 1946

Liberty EC 2 design cargo ship

American T2-SEA1 tanker James Island

An item referred to a official list of the directorate genereal for shipping bought the Dutch cabinet of behalf of Dutch shipping companies from the USA 8 Victory ships, 11 Liberty ships, 2-C1 ships, 3-N3 ships and one T-2 tanker. The Java-China-Japan Lijn received the Victory ships Tjikampek (ex-Berry) and Tjipondon (ex-Hillsdale). The (K.P.M.) got the 3 N-3 ships of which the name was yet unknown

Dutch cabinet buying Victory ships according to the Dutch newspaper Algemeen Handelsblad dated 28 September 1946

An item referred to the National Government Budget 1947 reporting that the Dutch cabinet as requested by shipping companies would buy 13 Victory ships from the USA for 27,240,000 guilders to be paid within 12 years, the first 25% this year under the Budget.

Netherlands bought several former American Second World War built merchant ships according to the Dutch newspaper Deventer dagblad dated 8 May 1947

American Liberty EC 2 design cargo ship

An item reported that since the USA started with selling her surplus tonnage the Netherlands bought 30 Victory ships, 28 Liberty ships, 3 cargo ships, 7 coastal freighters and 3 tankers. The request for another 12 Victory ships and 3 other cargo ship was still to be handled.

USA intending crewing Liberty ships with German and Japanese crews according to the Dutch newspaper Helmondsche courant dated 16 July 1947

Liberty EC 2 cargo ship design

An item dated Washington, USA 15 July reported that the American Secretary of War Patterson (1) sent the Congress a proposal to recommission laid up American Liberty ships with Japanese and German crews to transport food their countries. The original plan came from former president Herbert Hoover (2) who informed president Truman (3) after his ecocomical mission to Austria and Germany. The Department of War calculated that 75 Liberty ships crewing by Germans resulted in the first year 14 million US dollars savings for the USA.  All costs except for fuel and certain necessary expenses could be paid for in American harbours in mark or yen. Secondly Hoover adviced to charter vessels to be used as or which could be convert into fishing vessels. If Germany and Japan had fishing vessels could they improve their food supply and the transport from the USA of foodstuffs with a high ptotein content be decreased.

Notes

1. Robert Porter Patterson Sr. (12 February 1891-22 January 1952) judge and Under Secretary of War 1940-1945 and Secretary of War 1945-1947

2. Herbert Clark Hoover (10 August 187-20 October 1964) president 1929-1933.

3. Harry S. Truman (8 May 1884-26 December 1972) president 1945-1953.

Greece got American Liberty ships according to the Dutch newspaper Trouw date 23 January 1945

Liberty EC 2 cargo ship design

An item reported that the USA handed 10 Liberty ships over to Greece.

Value of aging Liberty ships increasing again according to the Dutch newspaper Trouw dated 24 June 1964

Liberty EC 2 cargo ship design

An item reported that earlier that year the trade in second hand Liberty ships almost disappeared until now. Traditional buyers mostly from Greece, Hong Kong and so on paid in the past months no more as 50,000 US dollars against the 100,000 and more US dollars at the end of 1963. The reason for the high prices in 1963 was caused by increasing freight prices  and high expectations when Russia was buying grain and the need for cargo capacity increased.  The expectations were not fulfilled and the price for a Liberty ship decreased with 50%. However just recently sold a British firm a Liberty for more as 83,000 pound sterling and one which undergone a survey around 6 months earlier was sold for 85,000 pound sterling. For  a Liberty which undergone recently a special survey was 95,000 pound sterling asked.

Value of aging Liberty ships decreased according to the Dutch newspaper Het vrije volk dated 15 February 1964

Liberty EC 2 cargo ship design

An item reported that there was not much interest in buying the aging Liberty ships. According to Lloyd’s List was the whole market for second hand ships extremely quiet. The prizes of the more as 40 Liberty ships varied between 900,000-1,200,000 guilders but Greek and Far East shipowners usually active in such trade seemed to be not interested.

Shipyards worldwide interested in building ships to replace Greek Liberty ships according to the Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant dated 17 January 1967

Liberty EC 2 cargo ship design

An item reported reported that British shipbuilders arrived in Athens, Greece as part of the race for getting the orders voor replacing 200 Greek Liberty ships. Dutch, German and a Japanese-Canadian combinatie were also involved in this race. The during the Second World War ships dumped with hundreds after the war on the freight market were now after more as 20 years of intensive use to be scrapped. Estimates costs of replacement in the next 10 years around 1.5 milliard guilders. The interested shipyards which notice the aging came with new designs. The British design had a displacement of 14,200 tons and a speed of 15 knots. The Japanese-Candadian design 13,600 tons and 14 knots and the German design 14,520 tons and 15 knots. The Dutch office Sea Transport Engineering N.V. (combination of the Verenigde Machinefabrieken and KNSM founded in 1966) was to present a Dutch design. (1) Her director W. Beets mentioned an Unity-ship design of around 14,000 tons and a maximum price of around 10 million guilders. The crew was to be downsized to a minimum with the support of automation for efficiency and reducing business operations costs.

Note

1. Koninklijke Nederlandse Stoomboot-Maatschappij, Amsterdam, Netherlands. Verenigde Machine Fabrieken (VMF).

The Netherlands bought several Second World War built merchant ships from the USA according to the Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant dated 9 July 1947

Liberty EC 2 design cargo ship

An item dated Washington, USA dated 8 July reported that between 1 April and 23 May the USA sold 208 Second World War built merchant ships abroad. The Netherlands bought 7 Liberty ships, 10 Victory ships and 2 coastal freighters.

US cabinet selling large numbers of Second World War built merchant ships according to the De Nederlandsche transportcourant dated 27 January 1948

Liberty EC 2 design cargo ship

An item reported that the US cabinet earned 17 million US dollars with selling by the Maritime Mission under the Merchant Ship Sales Act of 1946 of Second World War built merchant ships. During the war the Maritime Commission spent totally 13 billion US dollars with building ships. At the moment there were still 1,082 for buying ships, 363 by American and 719 by foreign shipowners. Of the sold ships 661 (257 large and 4 small coastal tankers, 19 C-type, 99 C-3 type, 124 Liberty and 11 Victory ships and 25 coastal freighters) ships were bought by American and 1,089 (579 Liberty, 98 Victory, 46 C-1 type and 11 C-2 type ships, 143 small coastal feighters and 204 large and 8 small tankers) ships by foreign shipowners.

Greek shipowners imposing several Liberty ships according to the Dutch newspaper Het vrije volk dated 19 August 1957

Liberty EC 2 design cargo ship

An item reported that freight prices in tramp shipping still increases reaching such low level that Greek shipowners at London, England decided to impose ten Liberty ships. With an index figure in June lowered from 10.9 tot 101.8 it was to be expected that American companies would follow the example of their Greek colleagues and to take a large number of Liberty ships out of service. Possible were several ships doomed to be broken up while scrap prizes were still high. With an overheated freight market was this a logical decision. The Trans-Atlantic rates had dropped to a level 30% below the medium costs of Liberty ships had to compensate before becoming profitable.

Dutch towing company L. Smit&Co.’s Internationale Sleepdienst not interested Liberty and Victory ships to scrapyards according to the Dutch newspaper Het Rotterdams parool dated 31 August 1960

Liberty EC 2 design cargo ship

An item reported that the Dutch towing company L. Smit&Co.’s Internationale Sleepdienst, Rotterdam, Netherlands was not interested in towing Liberty and Victory ships from to the USA to scrapyards in Europe and Japan regarded the price ratios on the towing market.

Prizes of second hand Liberty ships increasing according to the Dutch newspaper Limburgsch dagblad date 13 September 1961

Liberty EC 2 design cargo ship

An item dated New York, USA 12 September reported that due to political tensions and economic boom the prices of second hand Liberty ships were expected to increase with 20% resulting in a new prosperous era for trampers. At that moment were Liberty ships in good condition 364,000 US dollard worth. The value of ships to be scrapped also increased, in Japan even to 62 US dollars/ton.

USA getting rid of more as 1,000 Liberty ships according to the Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant dates 17 June 1959

Liberty EC 2 design cargo ship

An item reported that the USA getting rid op 1,200 Second World War built Liberty ships with a total tonnage of 11,000,000 tons being useless as too slow and old and just suitable to be scrapped. Of the 2,090 ships part of the reserve fleet 922 including 200 Liberty’s were to remain for emergency purposes.